In EP0339733 there is disclosed a rectangular baler of basically conventional design in that it comprises a bale chamber in which a bale of crop material is formed, having an inlet opening formed therein communicating with a feeder duct. In the feeder duct feeder means are operable to accumulate a charge of crop material in the feeder duct and then stuff that accumulated charge into the bale chamber for compression by a reciprocally movable plunger operating within the bale chamber.
The bale chamber has a bottom wall in which the inlet opening is formed. The feeder duct has an upper end facing generally upwardly and communicating with the inlet opening in the bale chamber and a lower end facing generally in a forward direction. The upper boundary and the lower boundary of the feeder duct are formed by a top wall and a bottom wall, respectively, extending between the lower end and the upper end of the feeder duct.
In the baler disclosed in EP0339733 the feeder duct is provided with an opening in the bottom wall thereof and with releasable closure means for the opening. The releasable closure means for the opening are in the form of two doors. The doors are hingedly attached to respective opposed edges of the opening in the bottom wall of the feeder duct. A leading or front door, as seen relative to the direction of flow through the feeder duct, is hingedly attached to an edge of a lower end part of the bottom wall. A trailing or rear door is hingedly attached to an edge of an upper end part of the bottom wall. In normal operation of the baler the doors close the opening in the feeder duct. When a plugging of the feeder duct occurs, the feeder means are stopped and the doors are opened, allowing a plug of crop material to discharge onto the ground. Once the plug of crop material has been discharged to the ground, the doors are closed to resume normal operation.